Cat house approved at city-owned animal shelter

A domestic medium hair cat looks out its cage at the Great Falls Animal Shelter. The new cattery will provide a better space for cats at the shelter, including providing the cats with enclosures that do not have bars to keep the cats safe from contracting disease.(Photo: TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO)

City Commissioners voted 4-0 to award a $462,000 contract to Detailed Construction to build a cattery addition at the Great Falls Animal Shelter to improve quality of life for the shelter cats, reduce the risk of illnesses and stays while increasing adoption potential.

Several residents spoke in favor of the addition for cats prior to the vote including Erin Kolczak, who is with Electric City Pittie Committee, an animal advocacy and education group.

A 100 cats currently are in the care of the shelter, she said.

That number averaged 117 throughout 2018.

"That number is higher than we've ever seen in the past and there's no indication that number is going to go down at this point," Kolzcak said.

Currently, most shelter kennels are 3 square feet with many of them collapsible or travel size, Kolzcak said. New kennels in the cattery, she said, would be larger and reduce the potential for disease spread and stress for the animals.

"The cats need more space," said Lottie Hufford, another resident who spoke in favor of the addition.

Over the last six years, Animal Shelter employees have hosted more than 50 adoption and fundraising events, such as the Pet-A-Palooza, and raised $463,185 in private donations to fund the cattery.

The city is spending an additional $84,000 in public funds that will pay for an incinerator for cremation services that will be housed in the cattery.

This architect’s rendering shows the exterior of the new cattery at the Great Falls Animal Shelter.(Photo: Courtesy illustration)

Former Commissioner Fred Burow, whose dog used to tag along with him when he attended city meetings, drew a few laughs when he said it sounded strange to him that the city was building a cat house.

"But times change," said Burow, who urged commissioners to support the cattery.

He recalled commissioners giving the Animal Shelter staff the OK to try and raise money for improvements and it speaks volumes about how the employees took the bull by the horns when given the opportunity, he added.

Backpedaling now from the cattery work would send the wrong message to them, Burow said.

Commissioners originally voted 3-2 April 2 to postpone awarding the contract until Sept. 3. That vote effectively nullified the bids, which had to be awarded within 60 days of the bid opening.

He wanted to have discussions with Maclean-Cameron Animal Adoption Center, a private group with a new animal shelter, about combining services in an effort to save the city money by eliminating duplication of services.

But the delay prompted a backlash from some Great Falls Animal Shelter advocates who said the cattery at the city-run shelter was badly needed now, especially since its employees had raised money for the work.

They also accused Robinson of having a conflict of interest since he once served on the board of Maclean and gave it a large donation. They also questioned both Robinson and Commissioner Mary Sheehy Moe for meeting with Maclean officials about possible ways the city and Maclean could cooperate in the future, implying those meetings were nefarious.

At Robinson's suggestion, commissioners later reconsidered and voted 5-0 last week to rescind the motion to delay the awarding of the contract setting up Tuesday's 4-0 vote awarding the cattery construction bid. Commissioner Tracy Houck, who said previously she supported the cattery addition, was absent from the meeting.

"I think we're on the right track," Robinson said Tuesday, adding he was "kind of sorry" he made the motion in the first place to delay awarding the construction bid.

But going forward, both he and Sheehy Moe said they still support talks with Maclean about ways the two organizations can work together to find efficiencies.

"I want you to give me and Owen a chance to see if we can't save the community some money and meet the needs of these animals as well," Sheehy Moe said.

In a tax sensitive community such as Great Falls, commissioners can't turn their backs if services are being duplicated, said Sheehy Moe, who described the potential for cost savings as "extraordinary."

Sheehy Moe said she and Robinson visited an animal shelter in the Gallatin Valley that provides services for local governments. If the city of Great Falls contracted with a facility like that, savings would be considerable, she said.

Sheehy Moe voted for the cattery addition, she said, only because of the private funds that were raised for the work and for the sake of the animals that need help now.

Commissioner Bill Bronson said the cattery is a step in the right direction to deal with the city's significant cat population problem. That $462,000 was raised for the project also is a testament to the willingness of residents to help the animals, he added.

But the city also has a history of bad blood between different groups of animal advocates, said Bronson, who stepped to the defense of Robinson and Sheehy Moe whose integrity he said was unfairly maligned by critics of the discussions between them and Maclean.

"This community has really got to learn you can have a difference of opinion on something" and it doesn't mean you are corrupt, said Bronson, thumping the table and his voice rising with emphasis.

When two commissioners have discussions with Maclean, Bronson added, no proposal can be enacted without first being brought back to a full quorum of commissioners for discussion. At that time, the public will have the chance to provide opinions, which Bronson said he looks forward to hearing.

"But please, for God's sake, don't take it out on my colleagues," Bronson said.

Karl Puckett covers local government and the city of Great Falls and Cascade County. Support his work by subscribing with this special offer.